A football fan had the entire pitch of a stadium to himself after police banned anyone with certain postcodes.

Steven Faughnan, 36, from Scotland, supports Italian side Atalanta and saw them win 3-0 against Napoli on Sunday – all while remaining alone.

Police rules meant he had the entire reception section of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to himself.

For reasons of public safety, anyone with a Lombardy postcode was not allowed to buy tickets for the match – but Steven, with his Edinburgh address, was able to secure his place.

Steven said he was aware of the unique situation before buying a ticket – and said he tried to keep the home team’s spirits up despite the empty seats.

“I knew it might be difficult to get a ticket to Naples given the previous restrictions, but I thought I would travel anyway,” Steven said.

“I was lucky enough to be able to buy a ticket and be treated to a wonderful performance from Atalanta. It’s just sad that long-time Bergamo fans didn’t get to experience this live.

“This week I had taken time off from work for the last 6 months with the intention of going to every game Atalanta were playing.”

“It was an incredible experience to be a solo fan in such a big stadium. I tried to make some noise but it was difficult!

Steven became a fan of the team after meeting Atalanta fans at a Hibernian match in 2016 – and since then Steven and his partner Lauren have become regular visitors to Bergamo.

“I became interested in Atalanta around 2016 when a small group of Atalanta fans came to hang out with me and my friends at a Hibernian match,” Steven said.

“I then contacted one of the guys, Giulio, while Lauren and I were going on vacation to Milan.” He managed to help us get tickets for the match against Roma – the opening match of the 2017 season, 1-0. defeat.”

We were the ones who were hooked, we loved the city, the people, the football and the incredible atmosphere in and around the stadium.

“Since then I have been to around 24 Atalanta matches and have met so many nice and always very helpful people.”

Steven has now traveled to Germany to watch the away game in Stuttgart and says he and Lauren will return to Bergamo this weekend for the team’s match against Udinese.

“For me, following Atalanta is much more than winning trophies – although it was incredible in Dublin – it is also the connection the club has with its city and its supporters.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before, and that’s what got me hooked!”